Daniel talks with two lawyers about a lawsuit against the publisher of a book that contains descriptions of how to commit murder. This lawsuit stems from a 1993 triple murder in Maryland. The man convicted of those killings was hired to do the job and is said to have followed the book's directions in committing murder. The book, "The Hit Man", is essentially a highly detailed manual about how to commit a murder and get away with it. One of the lawyers, John Marshall, filed the suit against the publisher on the behalf of the victims' family. He says the book publisher should be held liable in the deaths of 3 people as well as the convicted hit man. The other lawyer, Jane Curtley of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, says holding the publisher of the book liable for aiding and abetting murder is a dangerous encroachment on free speech.
Copyright 1996 NPR
